2013 Athlete of the Year

December is here.

2012 is here.

LeBron James.

First back-to-back winner since Barry Bonds in '01-'02 and rightly so; James is the most dominant American athlete since Bonds and Tiger Woods.  Right now, if he never played another minute, he's one of the 20 best basketball players who ever lived.  He's already had a better career than Larry Bird; more Win Shares in fewer games.  At worst, by public opinion, he'll retire as one of the five best players ever.

Runners up: Peyton Manning, Mike Trout

SI went with Manning, had he a better playoff performance at the beginning of the calendar year that would be more defensible.  Trout's opened his MLB career with two straight seasons in which he was the best player in baseball.

Here's each months' winner:

January - Colin Kaepernick

February - Joe Flacco

March - LeBron James

April - Justin Upton

May-Clayton Kershaw

June - Patrick Kane  

July - Andy Murray

August- Mike Trout
September - Peyton Manning
October - David Ortiz
November - Paul George
December - Jamaal Charles

Here's the history of my Athlete of the Year winners:

1990: Joe Montana
1991: Michael Jordan
1992: Mario Lemieux
1993: Michael Jordan
1994: George Foreman
1995: Hakeem Olajuwon
1996: Michael Jordan
1997: Tiger Woods
1998: Mark McGwire
1999: Tiger Woods
2000: Tiger Woods
2001: Barry Bonds
2002: Barry Bonds
2003: Lance Armstrong
2004: Peyton Manning
2005: Reggie Bush
2006: Roger Federer
2007: Tom Brady
2008: Usain Bolt
2009: Manny Pacquiao
2010: Maya Moore
2011: Aaron Rodgers
2012: LeBron James
2013: LeBron James

Athlete of the Month, December 2013

November is here.

Jamaal Charles. Runners-up:  Tre Mason,  LeSean McCoy, Damian Lillard

December's short so we can get to the Athlete of the Year, that will come before the end of the week from among the following candidates:

January - Colin Kaepernick

February - Joe Flacco

March - LeBron James

April - Justin Upton

May-Clayton Kershaw

June - Patrick Kane  

July - Andy Murray

August- Mike Trout
September - Peyton Manning
October - David Ortiz
November - Paul George
December - Jamaal Charles

#FarewellCandlestick: The 100 Greatest Moments in Candlestick Park History #11

#12 is here.

#11 July 2, 1963 The Greatest Game Ever Pitched

Juan Marichal beat Warren Spahn 1-0 in 16 innings. Both men threw complete games.

Warren Spahn was 42 years old. He fought in the goddamn Battle of the Bulge.

Both men threw over 200 pitches. Marichal threw 227 and struck out ten.

Oh - and he had the first Giants no hitter in 40 years a couple of outings prior.

Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, two of the half dozen greatest players who ever lived, went a combined 1 for 12.

The game ended on a Willie Mays walk off home run.

I mean, I don't even know what to say to you. It's a freak of nature this game.

90 down - I'll do a recap of the list so far tomorrow, and then the Ten Greatest Moments in Candlestick Park History begin the day following.